Always use fresh petrol in your engine as it can begin to go stale within 4 – 6 weeks. Stale fuel will affect the performance and running quality of the engine and can stop it working altogether. Only buy as much as you need and don’t store big quantities. Alternatively mix your fresh petrol with a fuel additive which can keep it fresh for up to 3 years. These additives won’t revive stale fuel so you need to mix together with the fresh petrol before you add to the fuel tank.If you mow your own lawn, then you've probably dealt with petrol quite a bit.

But did you know that improper storage and improper usage of petrol is one of the biggest contributors to mower breakdowns.

Fear not, because we've got some tips that will keep your mower running at it's very best.Follow these steps to extend the life of your lawn mower.Petrol Goes Off - This might come as a surprise, but petrol is only good for about 30 days. After that time, the volatile compounds in the fuel start evaporating. This occurs whether the gas is in the mower or in the gas can.As the fuel evaporates, it forms brown gummy deposits. Eventually, these will turn into a hard varnish which can plug the fuel lines and carburetors. Once your fuel system has been compromised, you can expect poor engine performance, including lack of power, surging, or difficulty starting.What Petrol Should I Buy? - Regular Petrol , It's recommended to only buy name-brand petrol from reputable service stations. This is because larger fuel companies are more likely to employ strict quality-control testing on their products. Also, buying from a busy fuel station will help ensure you're buying fresh petrol.When it comes to fuel, you can just buy the standard 87 octane petrol. No need to go with mid-grade or premium for small engines, like those found on mowers.Be Careful With Ethanol - Most fuel, contains up to 10% ethanol (a fuel compound derived from organic material, such as corn). Engines on modern mowers are designed to run on gas with up to 10% ethanol.

Ethanol Fuel Warning.You run the risk of getting into trouble when you start messing with fuel consisting of 15%+ ethanol. This type of ethanol fuel will absorb water from the atmosphere, which can cause corrosion in the fuel system.Lately, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) had been proposing legislation that would allow fuel stations to sell fuel with up to 15% ethanol. There is push-back from legislators as well as power equipment manufacturers as the engines on their products are not designed to accept this fuel. In some areas this E15 fuel is being sold, but labels are required to indicate that the ethanol levels are higher than usual.What Can I Do? - Fuel Stabilizer Don't worry, gassing up your mower is not an untenable situation. In fact, the solution for fuel problems is usually as simple as adding fuel stabilizer.Add fuel stabilizer your gasoline, right when you purchase it. Stabilizer prevents fuel from "going stale." It works by decreasing the rate of compound evaporation from gasoline. Stabilizer also prevents fuel from absorbing moisture from the air.

So be warned.... and buy some additive, we have been using this in our own workshops for in excess of 7 years now and we have had seen some really positive results. we have seen where people are using the additive all year round that they see less breakdowns and this means lower bills....